Nature on Display
Once I arrived at the museum with two of my friends, we immediately decided to head to the butterfly exhibit, as that was what we had heard the best things about from others who had gone before us. As soon as I opened the door and walked into the exhibit, I was blown away by the feeling like I had transported to a completely different place. While I could obviously still tell that I was in an exhibit, everything around me seemed like I had walked into a rainforest on the other side of the world. Within 30 seconds of standing inside the exhibit, I had two beautiful butterflies land on a post right in front of me. The whole walk through I was enraptured, wanting to stay for the rest of the day to let the butterflies land on me and enjoy being in nature. Walking through this exhibit made me understand the true, unmatched beauty of nature. This world has given us an amazing beauty in nature, and I feel that we as humans take that for granted all the time. I found just sitting and enjoying the quiet noises all around me, the many colors of the trees and bushes, and the butterflies surrounding and encircling me in the air. This experience was one I won't forget easily, and I look forward to going back to enjoy that exhibit again soon.
Nature and ethics
As I walked through the many exhibits of the Museum of Natural History, I noticed the same feelings of love, respect, and admiration for the land that Leopold mentions. I felt this admiration for the land when I walked through the butterfly exhibit and took in its beauty, but I felt a love and respect for the land that I hadn't felt in a long time when I walked through the Calusa history part of the museum. I saw the models of how those people lived their lives both before and after Europeans came into America, and read the signs about their ways of living. Their society seemed to be a peaceful one that had respect for the land, and they respected it far more than we as a society do. Reading about their ways of living in harmony before outsiders invaded their lands was truly inspiring. I also felt a sense of awe when walking through the museum because of how realistic many of the exhibits were. The museum did a fantastic job of making the viewer feel like the exhibits around them were not just exhibits to walk through as an observer, but that the viewer felt like they transported to a different place and time. I think the whole museum, but especially the beautiful exhibits on the Calusa people and the butterfly rainforest inspired me to take better care of the land. The Calusa exhibit reminded me how precious the land is, and how much we should cherish it, and the butterfly rainforest reminded me just how beautiful nature is.
Nature and the human spirit
Walking through the Natural History Museum was a great opportunity to step away from my day-to-day life and really enjoy the quiet, beautiful things around me. My time walking through the butterfly exhibit reminded me of the silent retreat I went on almost a year ago, a retreat in the middle of the wilderness where I was silent for two days in order to get away from the hectic world we live in and enjoy the beauty of nature around me. Taking in the peaceful nature around me in silence while walking through the exhibit reminded me of the peace and tranquility I felt during that retreat. I believe the Natural History Museum allows those who don't take the time to notice nature and beauty around them each and every day of their lives to step back and finally take notice of that beauty. It brings an appreciation of nature to those who haven't appreciated it enough before, and it motivates them to fight to protect that nature from harm and destruction.
